Two thirds quit cigs in N Lincs

TWO in three smokers wanting to stop North Lincolnshire successfully quit smoking in the last year.

And the figure is much higher than both the regional and national averages of one in two successes.

Spokesman for Smoke Free Alliance members Humberside Fire and Rescue Glenn Ramsden said the work that has been done by the alliance 'must ultimately lead to a much safer and healthier community'.

The Smoke Free Alliance was launched in March this year between North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, Scunthorpe United and others to help people's chances of quitting smoking.

Nearly 1,000 smokers in the area tried to quit using NHS services between 2007 and 2008 and 652 successfully quit.

North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust's (PCT) 66 per cent quit rate compares very favourably with both the national quit rate of 52 per cent and the regional quit rate of 53 per cent.

In neighbouring North East Lincolnshire, 59 per cent of quitters were successful: three in five quitters.

The quit rate puts North Lincolnshire in the top four PCTs in Yorkshire and Humberside and 14th in England and Wales.

For the full story, see today's Scunthorpe Telegraph.